yler o nty 2022
Featuring events, places and people from
Alabama -Coushatta Tribe of Texas, Chester, Colmesneil, Dam-B, Doucette, Fred, Hillister, Ivanhoe, Spurger, Warren, Wildwood & Woodville
936.563.1100 alabama-coushatta.com
State ar
d
, ivingston T
More than just a nursing home or assisted living facility, Woodville Health & Rehabilitation Center offers services to care for the whole person. Nestled in the piney woods of East Texas, Woodville Health and Rehabilitation Center is a 24-hour skilled nursing and rehabilitation center with extensive amenities and services.
Executive Director Dusty Barnett BSHM, LNFA
102 North Beech St., Woodville, TX 75979
Director of Nursing Laura Stewart, RN
409-283-2555
F RO M T H E EDITOR
ON THE COVER
Howdy folks! Hope you are all in fine fettle, and since you are holding this magazine, we thank you for taking an interest in Tyler County. This year, Discover Tyler County is celebrating its 24th birthday. Within the pages of this issue of Discover, you’ll meet some of the folks that call this county home. I mean, what is an area, or a building, without people? You will, in this issue, get to discover a historic Tyler County home and the great people who now make it their home, and have extended a multi-generational legacy with their care and keeping of it. You will also get to meet a legendary athlete who went on to great recognition as a coach and educator, and was made who he became due to his upbringing here. Add to all of that, stories about some volunteer efforts going on within the county to make this corner of the world a better place, as well as stories highlighting traditions here and shopping opportunities, and you’ve got a slice of the living within Tyler County making it a neat place to be. Take care, y’all.
– Chris Edwards
COUNTY & CITY GOVERNEMENT CONTACTS County Judge Jacques Blanchette 409-283-2141 Pct. 1 Commissioner Joe Blacksher 409-283-7103 Pct. 2 Commissioner Stevan Sturrock 409-283-7013 Pct. 3 Commissioner Mike Marshall 409-283-7623 Pct. 4 Commissioner Charles “Buck” Hudson 409-283-7623 Tyler County Sheriff Bryan Weatherford 409-283-2172 District Attorney Lucas Babin 409-283-8136 State Rep. James White 409-283-3700 State Sen. Robert Nichols 936-564-4252 Congressional Rep. Brian Babin 409-331-8066 City of Chester: • Mayor Robert Pointer • City Hall: 936-969-2360 City of Colmesneil • Mayor Duane Crews • City Hall: 409-837-5211 4
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Sunnie Wilkinson of Colmesneil, was crowned the 78th Annual Tyler County Dogwood Queen in April 2021.
MEET THE STAFF PUBLISHER
KELLI BARNES EDITOR
City of Ivanhoe • Mayor Cathy Bennett • City Hall: 409-283-3299
CHRIS EDWARDS
City of Woodville: • Mayor Paula Jones • City Hall: 409-283-2234
DEBBIE MCCLUSKEY
Tyler County Hospital: 409-283-8141
DESIGN & GRAPHICS
Veterans’ Service Office: 409-283-3751 Woodville Police Department: Chief Mike McCulley 409-283-5262 Chester Volunteer Fire Department: 936-969-2222 Colmesneil VFD: 409-837-9628 Dam B VFD: 409-429-4554 Fred VFD: 409-429-7568 Ivanhoe VFD: 409-283-5411 Shady Grove VFD: 409-384-0970 Spurger VFD: 409-429-5339 Warren VFD: 409-547-2553 Whitetail Ridge VFD: 409-283-8452 Woodville VFD: 409-283-2103
ACCOUNTING
BETH FAIRCLOTH
ADVERTISING TEAM
BECKY BYLEY DONNA HAMMER JEFF FATHEREE WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS
CHRIS EDWARDS KELLI BARNES JIM POWERS DIANE MOREY SITTON
TABLE OF CONTENTS Polk County Publishing Co.
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Tyler County 2022
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Alvin Holley, Owner; Kelli Barnes, Publisher
100 . alho n t. • . . o 1 26 L n ton 31 936-32 - 3 o contact the ed tor ema l hr dward at new tylerco nty oo ter.com co er yler o nty a a ne 2022 p l hed y ol o nty l h n ompany nc. er n la ama o hatta r e o e a he ter olme ne l o cette am red ll ter anhoe p r er arren ldwood and ood lle. co er yler o nty a a ne a tor de to the p neywood o deep a t e a w th empha on yler o nty and rro nd n area and ded cated to the people and ne e that ma e yler o nty ch a wonder l comm n ty to wor l e and play.
Tyler County Area Map To Lufkin 69 Peach Tree Village
R255
Neches River
1745
Chester Long Leaf Pine Trail
• Lake Tejas
256
256
Martin Dies, Jr. State Park • • Magnolia Ridge
287
Dam B
3065 1632
Louisiana Pacific Trail
256
190 To Livingston
15 miles to Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation
Doucette Heritage Village • • Dogwood Hills Golf Course
190 To Jasper
•
Woodville
Campers Cove
287 69
Ivanhoe
1013
Hillister
21
In Texas, everyday is Flag Day
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Discover Shopping in Tyler County
26
A Rediscovered Musical Calling
36
Worship in Tyler County
40 42
Double Nickels
Banker Celebrates a Milestone Anniversary
A Place to Rest Their Heads Sleep in Heavenly Peace Commits to Ending Childhood Bedlessness
Western Weekend A Hoot & A Half
B.A. Steinhagen Lake
92 • Beech Creek Trail
Spurger
Warren 1943
Dogwood Festival turns 79
1746
2992
(30 miles to Livingston)
History & Hoops Jessie White Recognized for Achievement
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44
Colmesneil
History Preserved
92 1943
Wildwood Golf Course • (8 miles south of Warren)
69
2827 To Beaumont
Turkey • Creek Trail
Fred
• Watson Pinelands Preserve
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History Preserved
“The walls of this old house have ears that have heard the laughter, eyes that have seen the tears, and a heart that has felt the love of generations of family and friends who passed this way.” —Roschelle Springfield
Above: The Springfield home as it stands today. Right: The dogtrot structure the family visited during the 1980’s on weekend excursions before rennovations began. Below: Dr. Jerry and Roschelle Springfield open their historic home to friends, family, and community. By Kelli Barnes Dr. Jerry and Roschelle Springfield are living the American history dream. As a young couple with small children in the 1980s, they considered weekends back in their hometown at the old family dogtrot homestead a dream vacation. “We traveled from our home in Lufkin regularly with friends,” Roschelle said. “Our children played together outdoors, keeping warm around the old fireplace. It was rustic and those days are treasured memories.”
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t all started approximately 160 years ago when the Tucker family acquired property that was part of the Mexican land grant. Great-great-great grandparents Jeremiah Tucker and Emaline Chambless Tucker, from the Dies community in Woodville, built the first home, a small log cabin. In 1884, Great-great grandparents Henry Madison Tucker and Francis Cassandra Tolar Tucker built the dogtrot house five generations of family, including the Springfield family, have now called home. They added to the original structure, using Keith Fortenberry with Circle F Construction in Woodville as their contractor. “We could not have done it without him,” said Roschelle. “He is the best and is so creative when restoring old homes. It was fun — a collaboration of ideas during the entire process.” The home, as it stands today, was completed between April and December of 2000. More recent updates have been done by Curtis Judalet, who was employed during the original remodel and now has his own business, Artisan Brothers in Tyler County. One discovers after spending a short amount of time with Roschelle that she sees every item as a keepsake, turning it into something special. An old quilt frame found on the property has become a light fixture and was duplicated in a second room. Original windowpanes of all shapes and sizes became artwork on the tall ceilings in the new addition. “Things wash up every time there is a major weather event,” said Roschelle. “We have found plows, utensils, jars, crocks.” All things found are repurposed and add another layer of history and class to the home.
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Left: Situated on the same wall as the staircase, a small library surrounds the doorway into the master suite. Top right: The red, white, and blue design throughout the home is a tribute to Roschelle’s grandmother who was born on July 4, and also their wedding on Flag Day. Bottom right: The sunroom overlooks a scenic backyard and pond. Other items found and repurposed or displayed in the home include an old cane hidden in an unseen crevice of a door frame found during renovations, a set of old crutches, historic toys and family photos. The floor in the sunroom is salvaged wood from the original house, the rafters from the original roofline are now the stairs in the new part of the home, and baskets hang in the kitchen off meat hooks salvaged from the original smokehouse on the property. It is safe to say everything in the home has a story and is preserved with purpose. The original dogtrot house was built using 12-inch pine, board and batten single wall construction with no studs, and a foundation of rocks. The home also included a parsons’ room, which was an extra room available for visitors traveling through and customary during those days. “The room was self-contained in the northeast corner of the house and was very cold,” Roschelle said. “It was heated using hot bricks from the fireplace.” The self-contained nature of the room was practical — visitors were unknown in many cases and for the safety of 8
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the family there was not an entrance into the main part of a house. Jerry was the 1966 Warren valedictorian, excelling in math and physics. During his career, he served as the director of community services for Angelina College in Lufkin and later retired from Lufkin ISD as director of technology in 1999. He worked after retirement for school districts in Chester, Woodville, Colmesneil and Spurger. Roschelle is also a career educator, working as the curriculum principal for Lufkin High School, then later as the middle school principal and then high school principal for Woodville ISD, retiring in 2007. She now works for Allan Shivers Library, and serves on the board of the Tyler County Heritage Society and the Tyler County Historical Commission. The couple are Rotarians (Jerry is currently serving as the Rotary District 5910 District Governor) and members of Woodville United Methodist Church. They have two children and four grandchildren. Their daughter and her husband are attorneys in the Dallas area. Their son is an engineer for Lockheed Martin in Lufkin and his wife is the media specialist for an elementary school in Lufkin.
Above left: An old storage barrel found on the property has been repurposed for a bathroom sink pedestal. Right: The fireplace mantle is a beam from the original detatched kitchen and the rocker belonged to grandfather Jesse Neyland Durham. Below: The kitchen backsplash artwork was painted by Kim Fortenberry Smith and J’Nell Short as a tribute to the history of the family.
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Clockwise from top left: • House plans show the original house built by Henry Madison and Frances Tolar Tucker in 1884, and the addition done in 2000 by Keith Fortenberry for the Springfield family. • Grandma Verna Davison Tucker Durham, who stood a slight 4’10”, is shown in the original dogtrot hallway surrounded by family photos. • The stairscase was built using original rafters planed down. The roof line was redone to include the new portion of the home. • The back porch is an outside extention of the sunroom and kitchen areas. • Career elementary school educators, mother Audrey Durham and aunt Ruby Page, are honored with a special wallpaper made from their vintage school readers, in the upstairs loft.
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History&Hoops:
Jessie White recognized for achievements
S
By Chris Edwards
oft-spoken and insightful, Tyler County native Jessie White is the type of man who exudes kindness and intellectual depth. “It can happen,” he said. With one simple three-word sentence, White referred to the limitless capacity all humans possess to achieve things toward their betterment. “I’ve never allowed barriers to stop me,” he said. White, who named to the Prairie View Interscholastic League Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame last summer, “hasn’t changed in 64 years,” according to his wife, Wanda, but beneath his calm, gentle demeanor is one of the greatest coaching minds the southeast Texas region has known. White tends to eschew labels such as “legend,” though, and said it even sometimes angers him when people refer to him in such ways. White, who grew up in Warren, has worked for 40 years at West Brook ISD, where he led the Lady Bruins to more than 350 wins throughout the course of his career. He is now retired from coaching, but is still teaching, and for White, life is chockfull of teachable moments. White, who teaches history classes at West Brook High, tells his students that he has lived through much of what he lectures about. He came of age during the age of segregation and was among the first high school class of Black students to go through Warren High School for all four years of high school, after the district had integrated. For White’s induction in the PVILCA Hall of Fame, he was brought in under the category of “Bridging the Gap,” which represents the integration of the two sports and academic competition leagues, the Prairie View Interscholastic “When I started developing my own League and the University Interscholastic League. way of doing things is when people The PVIL represented Black high schools from 1920-70, and the associreally started to respect me” ation has worked hard to preserve that history and honor individuals who fought adversity and achieved great things. Much of the history of those Black schools has disappeared with the passage of time, and White said the organization has dedicated itself to preserving that history. White shared the “Bridging the Gap” induction honors with 10 others. White said he was “really excited” when he received the news of his induction. “It was insane…and caught me off-guard,” he said. Wanda called the recognition “well-deserved.” In his acceptance speech, which took place at the ceremony, held in Houston at the Marriott South hotel, White did not run down memory lane to recall his past achievements on the basketball court, but spoke to something “bigger than basketball” – the fulfillment of dreams and acknowledging those who have supported him in his journey, including his family, friends and fraternity brothers. It was an honor that, heretofore, White said he could only envision in his dreams. White is quick to point out that he is a proud product of Tyler County. “I’m very proud of growing up in Tyler County,” he said. He returns to visit relatives as often as he can and said that for a lot of his collegiate career and during his coaching years, he could not find the time to return home, but looks back with fondness on the place where he came of age. “I carry Tyler County with me wherever I go,” he added. When he graduated from Warren High School in 1976, White was not only a top-notch multi-sport athlete, but a top scholar. He said that he knew from an early age that despite his athletic abilities, he needed to place his chief emphasis on his books. In fact, when he was being scouted to play collegiate basketball, he was still recovering from a knee injury he sustained during his senior year, and essie
hite as a high school senior at
Photo courtesy of Jessie White arren High School in 1 .
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Coach essie Fame. 14
doubted he would make it, but he did. The injury sidetracked everything, he said, but in spite of it, he received a basketball scholarship to Temple Junior College before transferring to Sam Houston State University, where he would earn his bachelor’s degree with a double-major in sociology and history and a minor in kinesiology. Later on, he earned his master’s degree from Prairie View A M in educational administration. White said that the integration process was sometimes di cult. He spent his elementary school years at ed ak lementary before transferring to Warren ISD when the schools became integrated in 1965-66. Prior to that, Black students went to high school at the Henry T. Scott High School in Woodville, as there was no campus for Black students in Warren. White said that despite growing up in poverty as part of a large family, he still felt the support of the community, however, it was sometimes on the road as an athlete where he encountered bigotry in his high school days. He said there was name-calling in some locales, and some coaches even warned Warren coaches not to bring Black athletes onto their campuses. White said that seeing the extremes of the days of the segregated south to integration and his days as a star athlete could sometimes demonstrate odd extremes. He told a story of accidentally going into a gas station restroom as a little boy with a “Whites nly” sign upon the door, which he mistook for his surname, to mean that only he and his family could use the restroom. The gas station proprietor did not look favorably at this action and yelled at young Jessie. ears later, when he was a basketball standout for the Warriors, that same man invited him to his home for dinner. White said he doubts the man had any idea that he was the same young boy who used the “wrong” restroom, or even remembered the incident, and he did not remind him of it, either. The sport of basketball took White all over the world, and although he had great success on the court “it wasn’t everything to me,” he said. Still, as fierce of a competitor as White is, and has been throughout his life, he still has regrets. He turned one of them into a teachable moment to help encourage his athletes. He said that due to a personal matter between a coach and himself, he quit playing the sport that fueled his legend his junior season as a Bearkat. “I tell kids now to not give up on your dream,” he said. “I wish I would have never done that…quitting is forever.” White’s induction brought praise from some of his former players, many of whom consider him more than a coach, but a mentor. “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence,” said Shaquita Brady, who added the honor was “well-deserved.” Arie Wilson, who graduated West Brook in 2000, said “Thank you for making such an impact on not only the game, but in my personal life.” White’s in uence outside the classroom is evident in his former students, according to Wanda, who said that West Brook alumni who played under White and wind up at the same colleges and universities are recognizable to one another in the way they conduct themselves. She said the students who pick up after themselves and strive to keep their grades up are identifiable products of Coach White’s lessons on and off the court, even if they don’t know one another. As far as his teaching and coaching philosophy goes, White said he would tell other educators “you do you.” “When I started developing my own way of doing things is when people really started to respect me,” he said. “ ou also must respect the people you are working with, as well as those you are working against and the o cials, as a coach,” he said. The calm and cool gentleman does not seem like the type to do so, but he admits that at one time he could pull off chair-throwing fits, ala Photo courtesy of Jessie White Bobby night, but he found that it was not the way for him, nor did it hite receives some hardware from the PV CA Hall of garner respect. “We’re all still learning lessons. I’m still learning lessons,” he said.
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Dogwood Fes
By Chris Edwards Photos by Jim Powers By Chris Edwards; Photos by Jim Powers ast year’s installment of the annual Dogwood Festival, the 7 th time the countywide festival was held, was a success and drew large crowds for its third and final weekend, ueen’s Weekend. Sunnie Wilkinson, of Colmesneil, was crowned as the new Dogwood ueen to top off the festival, and a variety of events took place, with a great deal of family friendly fun to be found in Woodville. The Dogwood Dash drew runners from all over the state on Saturday morning, and Jaycie Spann of Idalou, was the overall winner for the female runners with a time of 24 10.9 and ex McGehee, also of Idalou, won in the male runners’ division, with a time of 19 43.6. The overall theme of the festival was “We are Tyler County, a Celebration of the Beginning,” and the 175th anniversary of the county, which occurred on Friday, April 3, 2021 was celebrated within the historical play on Saturday night. Additionally, members of the Tyler County Historical Commission served as marshals of Saturday afternoon’s parade, which featured more than 100 entries. rganizers are preparing and planning the 2022 festival, with the first weekend Festival of the Arts scheduled for March 19-20 Western Weekend scheduled for March 25-26 and the ueen’s Weekend slated for April 2.
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estival turns 79
Above: Members of the royal court at the 8th Annual Dogwood Festival en oy the spotlight. eft: 2021 estern eekend bronc riding action, shot by im Powers. elow R: The Dogwood Festival crown, scepter and ring bearers ames . heat award winner, and vendor booth shoppers.
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In Texas, everyday is Flag Day
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By iane Morey Sitton
n 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation creating Flag Day, a national holiday observed on June 14 to honor the country’s great stars and stripes. But, here in Texas, there’s another flag that shares the spotlight, and it’s everywhere. Depictions of the iconic Texas state flag appear on everything from barbecue aprons to ball caps to bumper stickers. The familiar red, white, and blue blazes across roofs, embellishes fences, and decorates the sides of barns and buildings. There’s even a Texas flag emoji. Here in Texas, pride runs deep. Pride in the flag existed even before Texas joined the union in 1845 as the 28th state. The current Texas state flag design was adopted as the official Republic of Texas Flag in 1839. It replaced the “Burnet Flag”, an azure blue standard with a single gold star, named for David Burnet, the first provisional President of the Republic of Texas. Most historians accept a sketch by Austin artist Peter Krag as the first rendering of Texas’s beloved Lone Star Flag. The Texas Senate commissioned the work for a fee of $10 (about $200 in current dollars). On January 25, 1839, Mirabeau Lamar, Republic of Texas President, approved the design by signing the sketch. His signature, as well as the signatures of John Hansford and David Burnet, appear upside down at the top, as if the illustration had been pushed across a table for their approval. According to Texas State Library and Archives Commission records, the papers of Dr. Charles Bellinger Stewart contain another early rendition of the flag. The Brazoria pharmacist was a delegate to the constitutional convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos.
He signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. In 1966, Stewart’s descendants donated his freehand Lone Star Flag sketch to the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, a Liberty County branch of the Texas State Archives. Now, as then, the ubiquitous Texas Lone Star Flag is recognized for its bold color blocks of red, white and blue---the same colors used in the United States flag—and for its white, five-pointed star. One point of the star always points upward. According to the Texas Flag Code, the color red stands for bravery, white represents purity, and blue signifies loyalty. The single star “represents all of Texas and stands for our unity as one for God, State, and Country.” It is apparent by the glut of handmade, one-of-a-kind Texas flag depictions, as well as the swell of commercial décor emblazoned with likenesses of the Lone Star Flag, that Texans enjoy expressing the bravado and hard-won independence associated with the state. Look around. Nylon flags flutter from porches and patios. Lone Star Flag facsimiles appear on windsocks, wind chimes, watering cans, and welcome mats. They adorn mailboxes, the tops of picnic tables, the backs of benches, and the sides of sheds. Overhead, garden windmills flaunt the time-honored pattern of red, white and blue: underfoot, stepping stones stare back at the vast Texas sky in a show of Texas colors. Yep, in Texas, everyday is flag day. So grab some paint and show some pride. Barn boards, fence pickets, scraps of tin, buckets, boxes, and pots; when you’re keen on your state, there is no shortage of flag painting canvas.
Big Texas welcome. Wildflowers and a hand painted Lone Star Flag greet visitors to this East Texas ranch.
Despite a pandemic that won’t die, the American spirit is alive and well in Tyler County. In spite of amazon.com, retailers say “if you can’t beat em, join em” and are selling their wares online as well as providing a storefront for shoppers, in many cases. Whether you buy from Tyler County businesses online or in person, shop Tyler County first It helps our economy and keeps this aspect of our community viable. The items on these pages are just a few of our stores, but the list of small retail locally owned stores for gift buying also include Southern Tractor Pappy’s Hobby Shop Passin Thru Boutique Mann Furniture McClure Furniture Country to Classy Boutique Gail’s Boutique ail Salon Lorretta’s Too Antiques Tolar Feed verything U Southern Grace Co. Doretta’s Lair Art Heritage Village Museum Gift Shop
mporium for the Arts Sullivan’s Hardware Debbie’s Hardware Woodville Florist Dee’s Flower Shop Wild ower Gift Shop elli’s Custom Framing Mott’s Wholesale Case nives Dare to Dazzle Barnyard Boutique Christine’s Place esale Dirt oad Designs
njoy 2022 in Tyler County. 22
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Kelli Barnes, publisher
Discover Shopping in Tyler County
Glamorous Wash Detergent Bailey Made Tee’s & Boutique
Hats Plain $32.98 With Added Band $36.98 Bailey Made Tee’s & Boutique
Custom Bleached Plaid Shirt $36.98 Bailey Made Tee’s & Boutique
Hats Plain $32.98 With Added Band $36.98 Bailey Made Tee’s & Boutique
CCocci Slide Bailey Made Tee’s & Boutique
Bailey Made Tee s Bouti ue 1114 S. Magnolia St., Woodville 409-254-2040 shopbaileymade.com
Khaki Leopard Dress $44.98 Bailey Made Tee’s & Boutique
Star Slip On $44.98 Bailey Made Tee’s & Boutique Discover Tyler County 2022
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o i $64.95 Tyco Feed & Ranch Supply
Saddle $375 Tyco Feed & Ranch Supply
Animal Coop $129 Tyco Feed & Ranch Supply Wrangler Jeans $23.95 Tyco Feed & Ranch Supply
Pink Bib Overalls $23.95 Tyco Feed & Ranch Supply Tyco Feed and Ranch Supply 1154 US 69, Woodville 409-283-2106 Toddler Shoe $35 Tyco Feed & Ranch Supply
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Sugar Skull Rain Boots $45 Tyco Feed & Ranch Supply
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Cats Décor $26.95 Woodville General Store
Coca-Cola Case/Stand $269.95 Woodville General Store
Medium Cowhide Gun Case $48.99 Woodville General Store
Organic Fabric Bag $28.95 Woodville General Store
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Ba e y o e ed i o Boo $19.99 Woodville General Store
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Photo corurtesy of Chance Sims studio. Above: Chance Sims records his song in the
A Rediscovered Musical Calling By Chris Edwards “I’ll hold your hand darlin’ when you’re afraid I’ll be there every step of the way.” – Chance Sims, “Never Fight Alone (Winter’s Song)”
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ife has a way of throwing many curveballs to its participants, and sometimes it’s difficult to not cave when troubles and pressures become plentiful. Warren resident Chance Sims is one who not only has persevered in the face of adversity facing he and his family but has rediscovered an old passion in order to make some proverbial lemonade from life’s most sour of lemons. Sims, who is known to many in the area as a top-notch air conditioning man for many years, rekindled a love of play26
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ing music and found the hidden songwriting talent within during time off through the coronavirus pandemic last year and found inspiration within his wife’s struggle with breast cancer to create a song that he recently recorded and released. “Never Fight Alone (Winter’s Fight)” is available through Sims’s website, www.chancesims.com, and tells the story of his wife’s successful, but harrowing, fight with her illness in a way that country music used to do. Storytelling, Sims said,
is a passion of his, and something he wants to do his part to bring back. “Country music has gotten away from storytelling in a lot of ways,” he said. “I hope to help the artists trying to bring it back, to do just that.” Sims is a well-seasoned lover of music, and his tastes range from the throttling rock of bands like the Toadies and Pearl Jam to the classic melodies of the late Tom T. Hall. When it boils down to it, he said that if a song is able to make a listener smile or better their circumstance, he is a fan. At the end of the day, both as a fan and as a songwriter, he said he is primarily “a lyric guy.” Sims cited, as an example, watching a performer cover the Cranberries’ hit “Zombie” in a Nashville club recently, and the response the crowd gave the song. Great songs, he said, have the ability to make a listener smile or put them into a different frame of mind. Influence-wise, Sims said he gravitates primarily to the ‘90s era radio country he grew up on as well as country music from the two preceding decades. Artists and bands from Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Doug Supernaw and Shenandoah to Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson are reference points that he’ll mention, and talents who influenced his approach to music-making. Playing music professionally is something that did not occur to him when he was younger, although he played music and sang at gatherings and at church. He went about the path of raising a family and starting a business.
After his wife, Winter, was diagnosed with breast cancer and after being put on hiatus from work due to the pandemic and quarantining, he said he decided that music needed to be more of a part of his everyday life. “I decided that I was going to start playing guitar again and started picking it up every day. Quarantining opened up more free time than I’d had in 20 years,” he said. The song for Winter came quickly. Sims said it took 15 minutes to write the song, and once he played it for her, it took four attempts to play it through, through tears. “She asked me when I told her I’d written a song for her if it was a love song. I said, ‘Probably the best love song you’ll hear.’,” he recounted. The inspiration for the song was there, and the story the lyrics tell are clear, but ultimately, the way it came together “felt ordained,” he said. Sims decided that he wanted to get the song out to the public in hopes that it could benefit others going through similar situations. He recorded the song with the help of a regional music legend, Jason Touchette, the frontman of edgy roots-rockers Podunk and half of the popular acoustic duo Curse and the Cure. Touchette engineered the recording of the song at his home studio, and Sims’s brother-in-law Chris Guidry added a lead guitar part. Guidry, whom Sims said he’s been playing with since high school, will join in on some live gigs in the near future. When he was getting ready to get it out into the world, he Discover Tyler County 2022
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Lake Tombigbee CAMPGROUND
Monday-Saturday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Office Closed Sunday 1427 Campground Rd. Livingston, TX 77351 936-563-1220
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Photo corurtesy of Chance Sims Chance and Winter Sims. Winter’s brave fight against cancer inspired Chance’s debut single “Never Fight Alone (Winter’s Song).” initially wanted to put it out in March last year, which was the one-year anniversary of his wife’s surgery. However, the paper trail associated with copyrighting and getting a song out guaranteed that it would be a little longer. Sims, instead, opted to put it out in October, which is recognized nationally as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Half of the profits from downloads of the song are earmarked to go to breast cancer research and the cause of breast cancer awareness. Anyone who wishes to download the single can pay the $3 price on the website, or they can tip an amount to donate to the cause. Sims said he has some other tunes up his sleeve and has a goal in mind to start playing live. Another song he mentioned was one about the housefire he and his family endured in 2017. For the time being, however, he has been moved by some of the responses to his debut single. He said that Winter has shared the song with some cancer support groups online and has given him the rundown on some of the responses. Some of them, he said, are hard to take, especially the stories that 32
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involved men leaving women while they were ill. “I couldn’t stand to hear those stories,” he said. Sims, a man of strong faith and family values said that although the times were scary and his wife ultimately persevered, he lives by the motto of “you stand by your woman no matter what is going on.” Ultimately, whatever happens with Sims’s musical passion, he is, as he says, “just a singer of simple songs,” to quote a lyric from one of his heroes, Alan Jackson. “I do hope that my music, that my song, helps someone,” Sims said. Sims said that if he had any advice to give to young people interested in music, or other creative endeavors, that a lyric from Cody Johnson rings true. “If you’ve got a dream, chase it, because a dream won’t chase you back,” he said. “You’ve got to take care of your business and responsibilities, and if you can do that by way of music, then more power to you.” “If you have an opportunity to do what you love and can fulfill those obligations, then chase it with everything you’ve got,” he added.
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TYLER COUNTY
APPRAISAL DISTRICT
a e yo recently a ontact l
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Agape Church Love is spoken here.
Calvary Baptist Church
nday Worshi a Wednesday 1102 1 4 Colmes eil 938 409.83 .4434
Pastor: Sis Gina Harrison | Assoc. Pastor: Butch Duncan
The CATHOLIC COMMUNITY of
OUR LADY OF THE PINES CHURCH
Bible Life Groups 9:45 a.m. Worship 11:00 a.m. PASTOR: DR. DAVID MAHFOUZ fbcwarren.org 11645 US Highway 69 South | Warren, TX 77664 (409) 547-2215
welcomes you with great joy! MASS TIMES: Saturdays: 4:30 PM (English) 6:30 PM (Spanish) Sundays: 9:00 AM (English) 1601 North Pine St Woodville, Texas
Welcome to
Annual Saturday Camps:
Spurger UMC 13237 FM 10 3 Spurger, TX 77660 Sunday School 9:30am Worship 11:00am Come worship with us
Like us on Facebook
Woodville Church of Christ Keith Bellamy, Minister
nday orn n le la 9 30 nday orn n or h p 10 30 nday en n or h p 00
e cept r t
nday
edne day le t dy 6 00 pm
Easter Celebration Back to School Rally Harvest Festival Birthday Party for Jesus
Colmesneil changinggenerations.com 2472 FM 1745 N. Colmesneil, TX 75938 409-837-4472
HILLTOP BAPTIST CHURCH
SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:45 a.m. | WORSHIP 11:00 a.m. BIBLE STUDY: SUNDAY 5:00 p.m./WEDNESDAY 5:00 p.m. 11472 HWY 190E • DAM-B, TX. 75979
120 o nty oad 109 ood lle 9 9 09-2 3-2 a tor ayne att
Woodville
APOSTOLIC JESUS’ NAME APOSTOLIC TABERNACLE 120 FM 3290, Warren | 547-2238 LAKESIDE APOSTOLIC FM 92, Spurger | 429-3525
CALVARY BAPTIST 909 N. Magnolia St., Woodville 283-2004
Embracing Our Heritage...Building Our Future!
ASSEMBLY OF GOD ASSEMBLY OF GOD 493 CR 4450, Hillister | 283-2725
CAMPGROUND BAPTIST 295 CR 2075, Woodville 409-385-7350
FIRST ASSEMBLY OF GOD 109 N. Charlton St., Woodville
CAMP ZION BAPTIST 268 CR 3100, Doucette 283-5497
UNITED METHODIST
CHURCH
Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 10:50 a.m. 508 W Bluff St., Woodville, Tx 75979 409-283-2471 woodvilleumc.com
Woodville’s
First Baptist Church We are generations together reaching others with love, connecting them to Jesus, growing them in truth, serving them everywhere.
Sunday Schedule: Bible Study Groups 9:30 am Worship Gathering 10:45 am
FIRST ASSEMBLY OF GOD 404 N. Wheeler St., Colmesneil 837-4496
CANEY CREEK BAPTIST FM 1745, Chester | 969-2220
HILLISTER ASSEMBLY OF GOD 493 CR 4450, Hillister | 283-7549
CHESTER BAPTIST Chester | 969-2311
OAK GROVE ASSEMBLY OF GOD 18459 FM 92 Rd. S., Fred 429-5318
CHURCH NEW LIFE BAPTIST 105 Avalon Ct., Woodville 283-2333
SHADY GROVE COMMUNITY CHURCH Hwy 190 W. & CR 2175 936-208-0453
CHURCH NEW LIFE BAPTIST 213 CR 1075, Woodville 283-7002
TRINITY ASSEMBLY OF GOD 120 CR 1095, Woodville 283-2447 ABUNDANT LIFE FELLOWSHIP 12065 Hwy 190 E., Woodville 283-3324 BAPTIST ALINE INDEPENDENT BAPTIST 250 FM 3065, Colmesneil BETHANY BAPTIST 1880 CR 2570, Colmesneil COMMUNITY BAPTIST 15156 FM 92 Rd. S., Spurger 429-3101
www.fbcwoodville.com
202 S. Charlton St | Woodville, TX 75979 info@fbcwoodville.com | 409.283.2588
BETHEL BAPTIST 334 FM 1943 W., Warren 547-3201
BEECH CREEK BAPTIST 437 CR 4540, Spurger | 429-3537
DOGWOOD HILLS BAPTIST 823 US Hwy 190 W., Woodville 283-3202 EMMANUEL BAPTIST Hwy 69, Colmesneil | 837-5260 ENON BAPTIST FM 1745, Chester | 969-2394 FAIRVIEW BAPTIST 3025 FM 92 S., Woodville 489-3083 FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH WARREN 11645 US Hwy 69 S., Warren 547-2215 FIRST BAPTIST DOUCETTE 2245 Hwy 69 N., Woodville FIRST BAPTIST COLMESNEIL 208 W. Elder St., Colmesneil 837-5439
FIRST BAPTIST SPURGER 12676 FM 92 S., Spurger 429-3116
NEW PILGRIM BAPTIST 385 CR 4252, Woodville 283-7227
FIRST BAPTIST WOODVILLE 202 S. Charlton St., Woodville 283-2588
NEW SHADY GROVE BAPTIST 5514 US Hwy 190 E., Woodville 283-2218
FIRST SHILOH BAPTIST 114 CR 2310, Woodville 283-8700
NEW ZION BAPTIST CR 4415 o Hwy 92, Spurger 429-5089
GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH 148 CR 3260, Colmesneil
PALESTINE BAPTIST 1346 E. Caney oop, Chester 969-2524
HARMONY BAPTIST CHURCH 3020 FM 2565, Woodville HEBRON CHURCH 504 CR 1875, illage Mills 409-834-6240 HILLISTER BAPTIST 258 FM 1013 Rd., Hillister 283-3350 HILLTOP BAPTIST 11472 US Hwy 190 E., Dam 283-7580 KATY BAPTIST N. it er St., Colmesneil 837-2022 LITTLE BAPTIST 351 CR 4494, Hillister LITTLE FLOCK BAPTIST 1284 CR 4490, Hillister | 547-3336 MT HOPE BAPTIST 400 N. Rail Road Ave., Colmesneil MOSS MILL MISSIONARY BAPTIST Hwy 190 E., Woodville 283-3166 MT CARMEL BAPTIST Hwy 255, Colmesneil | 283-7513 MT NEBO BAPTIST 13259 FM 1943 Rd E., Fred 4295579 MT OLIVET BAPTIST FM 92, Fred | 429-3234 MT SINAI BAPTIST 972 CR 3750, Colmesneil 283-8566 NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH 714 CR 4525, Warren
PILGRIM REST BAPTIST 80 Co Mill Rd., Woodville 2833904 PINEYWOODS BAPTIST 4945 FM 256 E., Colmesneil 936-414-5487 PLEASANT HILL BAPTIST 4274 FM 2992, Spurger 429-7695 PLEASANT HILL BAPTIST 401 Elm, Woodville | 283-3008 ROCKLAND BAPTIST Roc land | 409-504-6124 SPRINGHILL MISSIONARY BAPTIST Springhill Rd., Woodville 283-5792 TEJAS ROAD BAPTIST Hwy 69 N., Colmesneil 409-837-9717 TRUE VINE BAPTIST 2626 US Hwy 69 N., Doucette 283-6863 VICTORY IN JESUS BAPTIST 13626 FM 1746, Woodville 409-429-3460 WARREN CHAPEL BAPTIST 1482 CR 4470, Warren 547-0165 WOODVILLE MISSIONARY BAPTIST 1446 FM 1746, Woodville ZION HILL MISSIONARY BAPTIST Hwy 69, Colmesneil | 837-2064 BIBLE GRACE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP 23276 FM 92 S., Fred | 429-5115
CATHOLIC OUR LADY OF PINES CATHOLIC 1601 N. ine St., Woodville 2835367 OF
S
HILLISTER CHURCH OF CHRIST CR 4455 1262, Hillister WARREN CHURCH OF CHRIST 357 CR 4475, Warren | 547-0064 WOODVILLE CHURCH OF CHRIST Hwy 190 W., Woodville 283-5977 COGIC WHITE’S CHAPEL 302 lac gum St., Woodville 409-200-4676 HOUSE OF PRAYER CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST 1098 CR 4470, Warren O
BOY
TYLER COUNTY COWBOY CHURCH 685 FM 256 N., Woodville 409-200-2014 E S O AL ST PAUL’S EPISCOPAL 1703 W. lu St., Woodville 2833710 GOS EL WOODVILLE GOSPEL TABERNACLE 1561 US Hwy 69 N., Woodville 283-2156 E O A S ESS KINGDOM HALL JEHOVAH’S Highway 190 W., Woodville 2837579 L E A FAITH LUTHERAN 704 W. Holly St., Woodville 238-7171 ME
OD S
HOPEWELL FIRST CONGREGATIONAL METHODIST 190 E., Woodville | 283-2874
SPURGER UNITED METHODIST 13237 FM 1013 Rd., Spurger 429-3401 WARREN UNITED METHODIST 11774 US Hwy 69 S., Warren WOODVILLE UNITED METHODIST 508 W. lu St. | 283-2471 OF S LDS CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS 1000 N. ine St., Woodville 2832236 O
DE OM A O AL AGAPE CHURCH 1102 FM 1745 N., Colmesneil 837-4434 BELIEVERS TEMPLE FAMILY 203 W. lu , Woodville BIBLE BELIEVERS TABERNACLE 12978 US 69 S., Warren 936-969-2220 FAMILY WORSHIP CENTER 145 CR 1270, Warren | 547-0255 FELLOWSHIP CHURCH 123 CR 4260, Woodville 283-2161 NEW BEGINNINGS PRAISE WORSHIP 501 CR 3330, Colmesneil 837-2210 WOODVILLE GOSPEL TABERNACLE 1561 US Hwy 69 N., | 409-283-0090 E E OS AL FAITH TABERNACLE PENTECOSTAL Hwy 1013, Hillister | 720-9864 WOODVILLE UNITED PENTECOSTAL 1613 W. lu St., Woodville 2832049 O ES A SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST 16140 CR 4755, Warren 409-547-3733 E DE OM A O AL GOOD SAMARITAN FELLOWSHIP 21544 FM 92 S., Fred 429-3777
Hebrews 10:24 2 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 2 ot forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 2 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 2 ut a certain fearful looking for of udgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
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Tire & Wheel Centers S
ter align ent • eels • ra es s • Str ts • A eating
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DOUBLE NICKELS Banker Celebrates a Milestone Anniversary
I
By Chris Edwards
n the world of banking, she has seen it all the days before ATMs, drive-through lanes and even account numbers. In trucker parlance, the number 55 is often phrased as “double nickels.” In the world of banking, literal nickels are every everywhere, along with other dollar and cent pieces. At Citizens State Bank in Woodville, one employee just marked a double nickel year on the calendar. During the summer of 2021, Carla Stewart celebrated her 55th year as an employee. She’s dedicated to her job and in no hurry to retire. “I want to work as long as they’ll let me,” she said. Stewart recalled a time before computers and mobile deposit via cellphone. “ ou had ledger cards, and we posted on a big machine,” she said. Citizens C Trey Allison said he has pondered about how the banking world was when Stewart began her career. He was three years old in 1966 and said that in his own quarter-century with the banking institution, Stewart has always been a quick study with changes in protocol. “She has taken changes in her 55 years with a great attitude and a willingness to be a team player,” Allison said. Allison added that qualities such as sel essness, commitment and exibility are some of Stewart’s strong suits. “Banking 55 years ago is a whole lot different than banking today, but she has the aptitude to make those transitions,” he said. Throughout her time, technologies have changed the banking world, but one thing has remained the same. Citizens, she said, is still the hometown bank it has always been, and the bank’s staff are like a family. “We have fun and we work…it’s a good place to work,” she said. Stewart currently works in the back o ce but has worked in all facets of the bank, Allison said. “She is a host of knowledge,” Allison said, and added that she has made herself available as a sort of mentor to younger employees. Stewart did not have her sights set on a banking career initially. When she was in high school at Colmesneil, she worked for CISD Superintendent Lee A. Taylor, who taught her how to roll money. Taylor told her “ ou need to do this, Carla, you may not never know when you might need it,” she said with a chuckle. After learning the ins and outs of secretarial work at Massey Business College, she went to work at the bank, where she has steadfastly worked ever since. “I’ve just always liked it here,” she said. The most memorable change in how banking is done, according to Stewart, came in the form of account numbers. owadays, while everything is issued a number and filed away as a form of identifi- Carla Stewart top with co workers in 1 cation central to some platform or institution’s computerized filing
40
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.
Citizens State Bank CEO Trey Allison and 55-year employee Carla Stewart. system, that was not always the case. “When I went to work here, we didn’t have account numbers. Everyone just had their names and Social Security numbers,” she said. Citizens was the first bank in Tyler County to utilize account numbers, Stewart said. Another change came in the form of automated teller machines. Although ATMs are now beyond ubiquitous, when Citizens obtained ATM service, it was cause for a launch party. When asked what her guiding philosophies and principles through
her life are, Stewart said that first and foremost, having the Lord in one’s life is paramount importance. She also credited her mother and father and their instilling a good work ethic in their children. To paraphrase a quote attributed to the great American man of letters Mark Twain, when one finds a job they truly enjoy, one will never have to work a day in their life. With her cheery disposition and commitment to her job, Carla Stewart never has to work, as evidenced by Mr. Twain’s observation.
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41
A place to res
Sleep in Heavenly Peace commits to
I
By Chris Edwards
n the classic song “The Weight” by The Band, a weary traveler’s lament known to every man, woman, child and beast, the late, great Levon Helm sings of someone looking for a place “where a man might find a bed,” to no avail. There are many who are in search of that same, seemingly basic amenity comfort, including children, a fact that bothered Woodville resident Brian Smith. “I had no idea that children without beds was an issue, a problem at all. I simply never thought about it. I have always had a bed everyone that I knew had a bed,” he said. Smith and his wife Deborah saw a story on a Beaumont television station’s news broadcast that reported on that particular issue and an organization fighting to end it, and it left a deep impression upon both their hearts and minds. The story was about a non-profit organization named after a line in the old Christmastime hymn “Silent ight.” Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a nationwide concern, and was began by a concerned church youth group leader named Luke Mickelson. Mickelson first encountered the issue of children without beds in his church and got a group together to build beds for a family in need. From that humble show of service sprung the organization, which became a non-profit with chapters around
the country. Mickelson was even honored by C in 201 as a “Hero of the ear.” The Smiths added an ast Texas chapter of the organization to its growing roster on September 5, 2020, which was a quest of approximately 10 months. The couple investigated the practical aspects of getting a SHP chapter started, namely the cost of materials and the necessary non-profit paperwork, interest was fomenting, and several members of the community became interested in helping. With a group together, the “core team,” they had their first building event on that day in September, when they built six twin beds to donate to families in the county who were in need. “There are children in Tyler County sleeping on the oor, on a couch, in a chair, or are sharing an undersized mattress on the oor with too many siblings or otherwise in a less-than-optimal sleeping environment,” Brian said. The word got out quickly throughout the community, and Deborah said it was “an extremely rewarding experience” to see her desire to help the community pay off. Although the story on the news brought the issue into living color for Brian and Deborah, seeing folks who could use a hand-up was nothing new to Brian. He said he has done mission work in some of the poorer areas of Mexico, places “where one sees true poverty,” he said, and seeing how people lived left
st their heads: to ending childhood bedlessness
a deep, lasting impression, which came back in spades when he and his wife saw that broadcast. “Here, in the United States, to realize that our little county probably has hundreds of children without beds hurts my heart,” he said. “As a sentimental older man, I still get choked up when I think of the joyous reactions of the children we help. The feelings of peace and security that a real bed gives them gets me up for early morning bed builds,” he said. SHP currently has 240 chapters across the nation, and in Bermuda, and there are hopes to break into Canada in the near future. Anyone can volunteer at one of SHP’s bed-build events, and they do not have to bring anything, “except a desire to help others,” Brian said. The group will supply the tools, PP , drinks, snacks and instructions. The Woodville chapter of the group hopes to be able to build sturdy, functional bunk and twin beds from dimensional lumber one Saturday each month during the a.m. to noon time period. The volunteer-driven assembly line process allows most anyone to contribute. According to the chapter’s website, located at shpbeds.org chapter tx-woodville, anyone who wishes to volunteer can show up to the build day event or a delivery event, and those
dates are available on a calendar on the site. There is also a link on the site to allow anyone who is interested in contributing financially to the cause, or to sponsor a build day. According to Brian, the cost to build a twin bed is 170 and 350 for a bunk bed, and all of the materials must come from donations. ach chapter of SHP must be financially self-supporting and entirely dependent on donations, which is all carefully accounted for, from local chapters through the national headquarters. As of this writing, SHP’s Woodville chapter has delivered 297 beds to children in both Tyler and Jasper counties. The organization is looking forward to a productive 2022. The estimated monthly need for the SHP Woodville chapter is 2,500 to 3,000, which is enough to provide 14 to 17 beds per month, and this is the cost for the bare materials. The organization also needs tools, such as saw blades, drill bits and other items, such as gloves, safety glasses and many other PP items. Brian added that for anyone who needs one of the beds, there is a place on the website to request a bed, and applicants can answer a few basic questions and submit. He and Deborah can also be contacted directly, at 44-432-2337 extension 5757 or at P Box 143, Woodville, Texas 75979, for anyone who might be interested in donating to the cause.
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At St. Luke’s Health-Memorial, whatever hour you come, you will find peace, love and humankindness.
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Western Weekend:
A hoot & a half
T
Photos by Jim Powers
he second weekend of the Dogwood Festival is devoted to Western Weekend. From the two-day Lions Club odeo to the parade on Saturday, the weekend is full of activities, sights and sounds for folks of all ages to enjoy. Here is a selection of some of the fun, from the most recent rodeo and parade.
Above: Dogwood Festival xecutive Director uck Hudson with 2021 unior Sweetheart exie Morgan and 2020 unior Sweetheart Callie Clayton. Above right: Floats traverse 1 0 during the estern eekend Parade. ottom left and right: cowboys of all ages found some fun in the rodeo arena during estern eekend.
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